Johnstown-Monroe

Superintendent search narrowed to three finalists

The Johnstown-Monroe Board of Education has narrowed its superintendent search to three finalists.

The candidates are Dale Dickson, former dual superintendent for Berne Union Local School District in Sugar Grove and Walnut Township Local Schools in Millersport; Jill Grubb, superintendent of Batavia Local Schools in the Cincinnati area; and Mark A. Robinson, student-growth-measures specialist with the Ohio Department of Education Northeast Ohio for the Mahoning County Educational Service Center.

* Dickson served in a dual superintendent role at Berne Union and Walnut Township in Fairfield County from 2011 to 2013.

While in that role, he worked with the board and community in Walnut Township to pass a renewal tax issue and a replacement income-tax issue, according to his application.

He also led a restructuring of the Berne Union Local Schools, eliminating a middle school and implementing a pre-K-6 and grades-7-12 structure in an effort to reduce deficit spending.

Dickson previously worked as superintendent of schools for the Perry-Hocking Educational Service Center for 13 years in New Lexington, where he developed and led the implementation of services to five school districts in Perry County and Hocking County, as well as regional services throughout southeastern Ohio.

* The Batavia Board of Education accepted Grubb's resignation as superintendent in February. Her retirement resignation is effective July 31.

She told the Batavia board she regretted having to leave, but changes in the retirement system left her no choice.

Grubb served as director of special education/curriculum at Batavia for several years before she was appointed superintendent.

She previously worked as assistant superintendent for the West Muskingum school district.

* Robinson describes himself as a visionary, student-centered school administrator with a passion for educational excellence and student achievement within a caring environment.

In his current position, he provides professional development programming and technical assistance to Ohio school districts in student growth measures and student learning objectives, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He served as superintendent of the Niles City Schools from August 2011 to October 2012, and he was superintendent of Ashland City Schools from August 2008 to July 2011.

School board president Ruth Ann Booher said a total of 16 applications were received for the superintendent job.

Booher said she wasn't sure how soon a superintendent would be chosen. Interviews were scheduled for last week, and background checks still have to be completed, she said.

Acting Superintendent Nelson McCray and former interim superintendent Tom Slater have been assisting in the interview process.

Former Johnstown-Monroe superintendent Damien Bawn retired in February 2013.

Slater subsequently was hired as interim superintendent, but he stepped down in mid-November to focus on his recovery following a blood clot on his brain.

The school board hired Victor Cardenzana to be interim superintendent Nov. 18 but fired him Nov. 26. According to the former board president, Amy Ramey, disconcerting information about Cardenzana was uncovered after he was hired, but Ramey said she couldn't reveal details because of laws regarding personnel.

Cardenzana, a retired superintendent with 29 years of experience as an administrator, said it was not his choice to leave the district. He said he thought he was fired because he questioned district decisions made by Ramey.

McCray, superintendent of the Licking County Educational Service Center, became acting superintendent at that time.